THE POWER BENEATH
by SARAH LI
Summary: The Claude clan is a proud group of people who devoted their lives in developing their hidden powers. Sakura the new leader of the clan ahs to face her beloved fathers death, the criticism of the elders, and a murderer who was responsible for the death of


POWER BENEATH Sarah Li  
  
An auburn haired woman stared helplessly as the coffin of her beloved father was going down into the earth. Her emerald eyes glistened with unshed tears as she tried her very best to look in control. Knowing quite well what Sakura was feeling, Touya hugged his little sister tightly. He knew only too well how painful it is to loose someone you love.  
  
"I'm going to miss father." Sakura stated painfully. "I know, I already miss him now." Touya answered. Sakura closed her eyes and hugged his brother back. She felt hopeless now. She began to feel tears filling her eyes. No I must not cry. But the pain she felt was deeper than her mind could conquer. As expected, the tears came down her eyes and she buried her face on her brothers' chest. "Sakura." her brother whispered, "you mustn't cry." The people around the siblings began to whisper. "Why, she's crying," "She's weak," "She can't be our new leader," "What a weakling," "I told you that girls aren't made leaders". the murmurs continued as Touya led his sister inside the car.  
  
From a distance, a young man stared at the girl, pitying her. His dark blue eyes never left her for a second. "Hah! With those tears you've just proved to the people that you are not meant to be the leader of Claude. What a pity. your aura has even grown weak too. Now is my best chance, if I attack you, you'd be defenseless and I'd easily beat you. not to mention gain the approval of your people." A smirk crossed the corner of his lips. "Yes, I'd beat you up all right."  
  
The girl's eyes widened. Her pain had been replaced by anger as she felt Jejuna's aura. "How dare you." she whispered angrily. With an unseen power, she pointed to her right, on a cliff. The trees that hid Jejuna turned to ashes. "Murderer! How dare you come to my father's funeral!" A surprised Jejuna fell on the ground. What the. how did she do that? Just a moment ago her power can be compared to one of the weakest sorceress in the area. Anger flared in Sakura's eyes when the man did not answer her question, "You come to my father's burial, murderer!" Jejuna stiffened at his realization that her power is now beyond his expectation. "I. I." "You what?" Touya gave him a murderous glare. The people watched in fascination, never had they seen such power from any sorcerer they had ever known. And they simply did not expect to see it from a girl. Jejuna tried to speak but he just stood there, trembling. Sakura lessened the distance between her and her father's murderer, her figure suddenly disappeared from Touya's side and reappeared at the edge of the cliff. "You do know that you are not welcome here." As she crossed the space between them, the cliff began to shake; small pieces of rocks began to fall down while a large crack worked its way to divide the cliff from the mountain. Jejuna's lips turned white, "you cannot really do this," he stated nervously, if this cliff falls down, you'd be on it too!" "What Jejuna? Afraid of heights, are you now?" Touya watched worriedly at his little sister, "Sakura!!!" he screamed. Yet she did not seem to hear.  
  
Suddenly, a man stood in front of Touya and placed his hand on his shoulder. "You shouldn't worry like that. You know you can trust her, right?" Touya seemed to relax, "Yes, of course. She knows that we need her. This clan would not survive another battle without her. She would not dare disappoint us." The crowd began whispering proudly, "Yeah, she can beat that monster!", "she's the right heir of the throne." Touya smiled, the crowds on her side already, and she hasn't even started trying to impress them.  
  
A thick mist suddenly enveloped the powerful Sakura and Jejuna started to laugh hysterically. "All those power for nothing! Your power might be strong, but you can never beat the dark forces." For a while Touya and the crowd began to feel bothered about the dark mist. but Sakura walked out of it and began to strangle Jejuna with her bare hands, "How dare you!" "No- uh, you --- can-you can't kill, *coughs* me." "Oh, but I can." She stated stoically. The man began to struggle and with Sakura's hands approval, was released. He coughs for a while then stares at the sorceress in front of him, "Not without being a murdered yourself." Jejuna justified. Sakura stared at the man, "Good point! Then I guess I'd just have to make you kill yourself." "That is impossible! You can't possibly say anything that would make me kill myself." "No I can't." Sakura replied, then she picked the man up with an invisible energy, without notice she allowed the man to be sucked into the dark mist. "But that mist you created can."  
  
The man beside Touya smiled, "See?" Sakura threw an energy blast at the mist and it disappeared. Slowly, she began to walk back to her brother's location.  
  
Sakura! Sakura! The voice came from inside her head. Who are you? Do you not remember me? Sakura thought for a moment, I don't! Please Sakura, come back! Where? Come back..  
  
Sakura was startled. 


End file.
